Afep Pigeon vs Laughing Dove

Columba unicincta compared with Spilopelia senegalensis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Afep Pigeon Laughing Dove
Scientific Name Columba unicincta Spilopelia senegalensis
Order Columbiformes Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Columbidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 42.2 cm (16.6 in) 26.4 cm (10.4 in)
Weight 401.5 g (14.16 oz) 105.0 g (3.70 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1-4
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Afep Pigeon only

Laughing Dove only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

Afep Pigeon

Song

Deep, resonant cooing; rich notes with carrying quality through dense humid African forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Laughing Dove

Song

Deep, resonant cooing; rich notes carrying through dense Australian forest and scrub. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Afep Pigeon

Least Concern

Laughing Dove

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How to Tell Them Apart

Afep Pigeon

Plumage

Afep Pigeon: pale gray; white neck gloss; dark flight feathers; large size; Central African rainforest pigeon; pale overall

Laughing Dove

Plumage

Short-billed Cuckoo-dove (alt): rufous-brown above; buff below; shorter bill; long tail; New Guinea cuckoo-dove group; small

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About These Birds

Afep Pigeon

Afep Pigeon (Columba unicincta) — 36–40 cm. Large; dark grey; single narrow black ring on hindneck; pale grey rump. Inhabits canopy of rainforest in West and Central Africa. Frugivore; feeds on forest fruits. Poorly known; an upper-canopy species seldom studied at close range.

Laughing Dove

Small dove, 23–26 cm, pinkish-buff with a rufous and grey-spotted neck bib and a long tail. Widespread across Africa and South Asia to Myanmar; also introduced to Australia and parts of Europe. Inhabits urban areas, gardens, and dry woodland. Granivore of seeds; its burbling call is characteristic of African city parks. Least Concern.

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